Temporary excessive lift in the outer wing portions of an aircraft wing can occur as a result of gusts of wind or an extreme maneuver. Short term excessive lift of this kind can create a high bending moment on the structure of the wing, especially at the wing root where the wing meets the fuselage. Temporary load alleviation can be undertaken to reduce this excessive lift when needed. A known measure to achieve this is by lifting the ailerons or spoilers. The provision of active flow control devices for this purpose has also recently been suggested.